English Professor Named Distinguished University Professor
June 20, 2013
Robert Levine was granted this highest academic honor given to a faculty member for his role in the department and his internationally acclaimed work.
By Natalie Kornicks
The College of Arts and Humanities would like to congratulate English professor Bob Levine on being named Distinguished University Professor of English. This title denotes the highest academic honor that the University of Maryland confers upon a faculty member, and it is reserved for a small number of exceptionally distinguished scholars.
“Bob is a quiet, self-effacing guy; a really, really engaged citizen of his department and the College of Arts and Humanities and one terrific scholar-teacher of American literature,” said Associated Dean for Faculty Affairs Charles Rutherford.
Levine was not only awarded this honor in recognition of his role in the Department of English, but also for his internationally acclaimed work in the fields of American and African-American literature for the last 30 years.
More recently, he has contributed important new work to the burgeoning field of hemispheric American literature through his prominent publications, such as “Dislocating Race and Nation” (2008). Additionally, Levine’s numerous scholarly editions of Melville, Hawthorne, Martin Delany, William Wells Brown and Harriet Beecher Stowe have helped restore lesser known works to wider audiences.
Levine is a highly visible figure in literary circles, serving as the editor for the “Norton Anthology of American Literature,” but he is also equally visible in Tawes Hall. Besides organizing the annual Local Americanists lecture series and directing the Center for Literary and Comparative Studies, Levine is known as a vigorous and enthusiastic teacher committed to the success of his graduate and undergraduate students.
The title of Distinguished University Professor is granted to those faculty members who have been recognized nationally and internationally for the importance of their scholarly and/or creative achievements. Distinguished University Professors also encompass the roles of scholar, teacher and public servant, in addition to bringing distinction to the university.